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Providing Home Inspections In Kingsport and Johnson City, TennesseeTue, 20 Feb 2018 22:37:51 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.6.10Interview with Spectorahttp://www.prohitn.com/2017/12/16/spectora-interview/
http://www.prohitn.com/2017/12/16/spectora-interview/#respondSat, 16 Dec 2017 17:47:11 +0000http://www.prohitn.com/?p=811The post Interview with Spectora appeared first on Professional Home Inspections.
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Inspector Interview with Spectora Software

Spectora is an amazing software company that I use to produce my Home Inspection Reports. They reached out to me recently and wanted to feature me as a Home Inspector and conduct an interview dealing with Home Inspection related topics. It was an honor to be chosen by them.

Major Foundation Issues

I wanted to share this video to show one of the worst foundations I have come across in my 1200 or so Inspections.

I’m going to let the video speak for itself, but the problem here is a home built on a hillside without a reinforced foundation. On typical construction on a relatively flat grade it’s not going to cause issues to stack CMU block six to even ten or more block high without reinforcement.

But on a foundation constructed on a heavily sloped grade, reinforcement is a must. This reinforcement would have to be engineer designed, but typically you would have rebar ran through the openings in the block and then do a concrete fill through the openings. The footings would have most likely have been oversized in an engineer designed foundation such as this.

The amount of cracking on these foundation walls shows something, somewhere was missed or not adequately planned for.

]]>http://www.prohitn.com/2017/12/16/foundation-issues/feed/0The Possible Dangers of Asbestos in Homeshttp://www.prohitn.com/2017/09/12/possible-dangers-asbestos-homes/
http://www.prohitn.com/2017/09/12/possible-dangers-asbestos-homes/#commentsTue, 12 Sep 2017 14:48:45 +0000http://www.prohitn.com/?p=761The post The Possible Dangers of Asbestos in Homes appeared first on Professional Home Inspections.
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Asbestos and Home Inspections

Asbestos.com and the Mesothelioma Center reached out to me to write a post dealing with asbestos, it’s health implications, and it’s removal. Although the State of Tennessee Standards of Practice for Home Inspections do not require licensed home inspectors to report on the presence of asbestos, ethically I believe most home inspectors will alert you to it’s presumed presence if found. I can assure you if I see visible signs of it during my inspections, I’m going to recommend further evaluation of the material by an environmental contractor.

The form of asbestos most commonly seen in homes is comprised of Chrysotile, a member of the Serpentine class of Asbestos. This form of asbestos was used in multiple building materials starting at the end of the 19th century. These materials included, but are not limited to; transite masonry siding, water pipe insulation, HVAC duct and boot connectors, tapes, vinyl floor tiles, attic insulation (zonolite), caulking, popcorn ceilings (acoustical ceilings), etc.

These materials, if in an undisturbed and intact state, are widely believed to not pose a health hazard. But, it’s when these materials are damaged and/or deteriorating (friable) that health implications need need to be considered. Due to Asbestos fibers size at .1 microns thick or 18,000 times thinner than a human hair, these fibers can be easily inhaled. Inhalation of Asbestos fibers are related to lung cancer, asbestosis, and mesothelioma.

If you discover a material that may contain Asbestos and the material is in a friable state, contacting an environmental professional is a must. But contacting an environmental professional is just as important if you plan on remodeling an older home. If your home was built prior to 1986, any textured ceiling material should not be altered or removed without first having a professional test it for the presence of asbestos. And this goes for multiple other remodels that can take place in a home, including but not limited to; removing old vinyl floor tiles, replacing older water distribution pipes that may be insulated, replacing attic insulation, etc.

The Importance of Toilet Wax Rings

Let’s discuss the importance of the performance of toilet wax rings. These less than ten dollars wax rings, ensure that there is a watertight seal between the base of the toilet and the toilet flange at the top of the soil pipe. Either by time, cheap materials, or an incorrect initial installation, these wax rings will eventually fail allowing water to leak from underneath the base of the toilet.

When this leaking occurs, indicators could be darkened grout at the base of the toilet, if a tile floor is present. Faded vinyl if vinyl flooring is present. Or moisture staining on ceilings below upstairs bathrooms.

If you’ve noticed any discoloration on the floor covering material at the base of your toilet(s), or even a methane smell, this could be an indicator of a failed/leaking wax ring. The replacement isn’t difficult, and if you’re handy you could tackle this project in a matter of hours on a weekend afternoon. For others I recommend contacting a home inspector to verify that a leak is indeed present, or contacting a licensed plumber for repairs.

I can’t can’t count the times I have been in a crawl space, and when examining the subfloor below a bathroom, have found extensive damage to the framing, due to leaking wax ring. If left un-repaired, these ten dollar items can cause substantial damage to framing components of the home.

Next time you’re in your bathroom or any bathroom, look at the base of the toilet…it could save you thousands of dollars.